Air conditioning system



lApril 21, 1936. HA, Q STALEY l 2,037,831

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Filed July 19, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l NVENTOR. Hilf?? C.' Sfdlarg,

BY y I ga/WM] QM/ @ajh KW ATTORNEYS.

April 21, v1936. A, c, STALEY 2,037,831

IR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Filed July 19, 1954 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEYS.

April 2,1, 1936. A C, STALEY 2,037,831

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Filed July 19, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 JNVENTOR HZZ? Sid/gy.

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM Allen C. Staley, Birmingham, Mich., assigner to Chrysler' Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware A further object of the invention is to provide an air conditioning system which may be Aconveniently converted for cooling room air in warm weather and heating room air in cold weather.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a removable water collecting tank in an air conditioning cabinet of this kind which is adapted to accommodate the passage of adjacent air streams in respectively opposite directions; to provide a tank of this character having av rounded lower end portion for deiiecting air laterally in such a manner as to substantially vabruptly change the direction of the flow of air and to cause the free moisture and some lof the dirt content thereof to be thrown into liquid in the lower end portion of the tank; to provide a liquid spray for humidifying and cleaning the air as it iiows into the lower end portion of the tank; to provide a drain for carrying off the collected liquid and deposited dirt and dust; to provide a heat transfer unit at the outlet of the cabinet having an air inlet side registering with the air stream flowing outwardly through the tank; to provide an inspection opening in said cabinet adjacent the heat transfer unit; to provide a combined air deflector and baille which is supported independently by the inspection opening closure and adapted to divide the interior of the tank into separate air passages; and to provide twin blowers having a single driving means for forcing an air current upwardly between a side wall of the tank and a side wall of the cabinet, downwardly between the latter wall of the tank and baille and upwardly again between the baille and opposite side wall of the tank.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustrational view of an air conditioning system showing my improved air conditioning u nit in end elevation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View .Of the unit embodies a modified form of the invention.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 is illustrated an air con- -ditioning unit embodying my invention which includes a casing I having front and rear walls II and I2, respectively, and a lower wall I3 in which are formed longitudinally spaced inlet openings I4. The inlet openings I4 are located adjacent the rear wall I2 and they each communicate with the outlet I5 of a blower I6, respectively. The blowers I6 are disposed below the bottom of the casing which is supported by spaced legs I1. These blowers are operatively connected with a motor I8 located between the blowers and beneath the casing I0.

The casing I 0 has an upper open end I9 in which is disposed a heat transfer unit 20 including a combined heating and cooling coil 2I. The coil 2I has a cooling medium inlet 22 and a. cooling medium outlet 23 and it is also provided with a heating medium inlet 24 and a heating medium outlet 25. Cooling medium control valves 26 are provided at the cooling medium inlet 22 and outlet 23, and valves 2'I for controlling the ow of heating medium through the heat interchanger are provided at the heating medium inlet 24 and outlet 25. The heat transfer unit 20 extends across a portion substantially less than all of the open ends I9 of the casing III and the remaining portion of the open end of the casing is closed by a removable cover 28. The entire unit, or any selected portion thereof, maybe enclosed .within a cabinet II having an opening I2 provided with a suitable grill and registering with the discharge opening of the casing II, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The cabinet is preferably open at its lower extremity to admit air to the inlet of the blowers I6.

Mounted in the interior of the casing I0 is a tank 29 of U-shaped cross section having a rounded extremity which sets upon a correspondingly shaped rest 30 secured to the lower wall I3 of the casing. The tank 29 is substantially narrower than the thickness of the casing I0 and it is adapted to be linserted and removed through the upper open end of the casing when the heat interchanger and cover 28 are removed. The

rest 38 maintains the front wall of the tank in adjacent contacting relation to the front wall I I of the casing, and the rear wall in spaced relation to the rear wall I2 of the casing so as to provide a passage between the rear wall of the tank and the rear wall of the casing which communicates with the inlet openings I4 and accommodates an upwardly flowing air current.

Mounted on the closure 28 is a baille 3I which has an arcuate shaped air deecting section 32 disposed over the passage between the rear walls 0f the tank and casing and extending partly over the open upper extremity of the tank 29. This baille also includes a downwardly extending substantially plane section 33 which abuts against the rear side of the interchanger 20 and projects into the interior of the tank 29. The plane section 33 of the baiile 3| terminates at a location remote from the lower extremity of the tank and divides the interior of the latter into adjacent 'air passages 34 and 35 which communicate at their upper ends directly with the passage between the rear walls of the casing and tank and with the inlet side of the heat interchanger 20. This construction and arrangement provides three vertical adjacent air passages which are in series communication with each other, thereby causing the air to flow in a reversely directed course from the air inlets I4 to the heat transfer unit 20.

A liquid spray device 36 is disposed in the,air passage 34 of the tank 39 above the junction of the passage 34 with the passage 35. This liquid spray device includes an inlet pipe 31 and a discharge pipe 38 which extends longitudinally of the cabinet and which is provided with a plurality of perforations or outlet openings 39. The perforations 39 are so distributed throughout the lowermost portion of the wall of the pipe 38 as to form a spray extending substantially completely across the lower extremity of the passage 34 from a location somewhat' above the lowcrmost Aedge of the plane section 33 of the baille 3| to the rear wall of the tank. This spray washes dirt and dust from the incoming air into the bottom of the tank 29 from which it is conveyed away through a drain pipe 40. The Spray also humidies incoming dry air before it is heated. As the air reaches the lower end portion of the passage 34 of the tank, it is deected laterally to the right by the rounded lower extremity of the tank, thereby causing an abrupt change in the direction of the flow of the air, and a resulting separation of entrapped water and any dirt or dust therein which has not been removed by the spray. The dirt Vand dust removed from the air current in this manner is thrown into the liquid from the spray 36 which collects at the bottom of the tank. During cooling of the airby circulating a cooling medium through the heat interchanger, the reduction in the temperature .of the air causes its moisture content to be reduced and accordingly dehumidies the warm air.

'I'he above described unit may be connected with both heating and cooling medium circuits respectively in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. A cooling plant 4I, of the type which extracts heat from a cooling medium, is connected by a outlet 25 may be connected to the return pipe 41 of sucha heating unit. The spray device 36 is connected with a source of water, preferably a city water system, by an inlet pipe 48 and the spray water is carried from the unit to a drain 'by the pipe 48.

A plant of theA above described character may be operated in warm weather to cool the air of a room or building or in winter to heat the room air, the valves 26 and 21 being suitably adjusted -to permit only cooling medium or heating medium, respectively, to be circulated through the heat interchanger 20. A plurality of air conditioning units may be connected with the heating and cooling devices in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, the units being arranged in selected rooms of a building and the heating and cooling devices being confined in the basement or other out-of-the-way place.

In order to eliminate the use of the separate heating and cooling medium circuits illustrated in Fig. 1, and to reduce the piping required in the system, a series of air conditioning units 49, substantially identical to the unit shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, may be alternatively connected in parallel, as illustrated in Fig.' 6, with either a source of heating medium or a source of cooling medium. The heat interchanger of each unit 49 has only one effective inlet 22 and only one eifective outlet 23, the other inlet 22 and outlet 23 being either closed by their respective valves or omitted. 'I'he inlet 22 of each unit 49 is connected with a pipe 50 provided with a pump 5I and leading from the outlet of a source of heating medium, such as a hot water heater 52. 'I'he outlet of the heater 52 is equipped with a valve 53. 4The outlet 23 of each unit 49 is connected with a return pipe 54 which leads back to the water heater and in which a valve 55 is provided. A cooling device identical to that shown in Fig. 1 and designated'by the numeral 56 in Fig-6 is provided with a cooling medium outlet 51 which is connected with the pipe 50 and provided with a valve 58. Return pipe 54 is connected with the outlet of the cooling unit by a by-pass pipe 59 having a valve 68 therein. 'I'he sprays of each air conditioning unit are supplied with water, preferably from a city water system, by a pipe 6I having branch pipes 62, one leading to the spray f of each unit and the spray water is drained away through a drain pipe 63 having a plurality of branch pipes 64, one leading tp the internal tank of each unit.

When it is desired to cool the room of a building, the valves 53 and 55 are closed and the valves 58 and 50 are opened, thus permitting cooling med ium to flow to all the air conditioning units 49. any one of which may be adjusted or shut oil by manipulation of its respective inlet valve 22. The rooms in which the units are located may be heated by closing the valves 58 and 68 and opening the valves 53 and 55 so as to supply a heating medium to the units 49. During both heating and cooling the pump 5I provides a forced circulation of the medium and in either case the units may be individually adjusted or shut off by manipulation of their respective inlet valves 22 and outlet valves 23.

Although but several speciic embodiments of the invention are herein shown and described, it will understood that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is not my intention to limit its scope other than by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An air conditioning unit including a casing having an air inlet and an air outlet therein, la tank having a liquid drain disposed in said casing, one wall of said tank being so spaced from a corresponding wall of said casing as to provide an air passage between said walls in communication with said air inlet, means extending into said tank for dividing the interior of the latter into adjacent air passages, one of said passages leading to the outlet of said casing and the other communicating with said rst mentioned passage, and a liquid spray in one of the passages of said tank for washing air passing therethrough.

2. An air conditioning unit including a casing having an air inlet and an air outlet therein, a tank having a liquid drain disposed in said casing, one wall of said tank being so spaced from a corresponding wall of said casing as to provide an air passage between said walls in communication with said air inlet, means extending into said tank for dividing the interior of the latter into adjacent air passages, all of said passages being in series communication with each other and one of the passages in said tank leading to said outlet, means for forcing a current of air from said inlet through said passages and said outlet, and a liquid spray in one of the passages of said tank for washing said air current. V

3. An air conditioning unit including a casing having an air inlet and an air outlet therein, a tank having a liquid drain disposed in said casing, one wall of said tank being so spaced from a corresponding wall of said casing as to provide an air passage between said walls in communication with said air inlet, means extending into said tank for dividing the interior of the latter into adjacent air passages, all of said passages being in series communication with each other and one of the passages in said tank leading to said outlet, means for forcing a current of air from said inlet through said passages and said outlet, a liquid spray in one of the passages of said tank for washing said air current, and a heat transfer unit in the outlet of said casing.

4. An air conditioning cabinet including an inner casing having an air outlet in its upper side and an adjacent opening and having an air inlet, a tank in said casing having an upper open end and including a wall so spaced from a corresponding wall of said casing as to provide an air passage between said walls in communication with said inlet, a removable closure for said opening, a baffle carried by said closure extending into said tank and dividing the interior of the latter into adjacent air passages, all of said passages being in series communication with each other and one passage of said tank leading to said outlet, a liquid spray in one of the passages of the tank for washing the air flowing therethrough, and an outer casing enveloping said inner casing.

5. An air conditioning unit including a casing having an air outlet at its upper end and having an air inlet at its lower end, a blower in said air inlet, a tank in said casing having a wall so spaced from a corresponding wall of said casing as to provide an air passage in communication with said inlet for conveying an air current upwardly from said inlet to the upper end portion of said casing, means including a baille above said tank and a partition inthe latter for directing said air current downwardly through a portion of said tank, said partition terminating at a lncation remote from the lower extremity of said tank for permitting said air current to iiow upwardly through the remaining portion of said tank to said outlet, and means for spraying an air washing liquid downwardly in the portion of said tank through which said air current flows downwardly.

6. An air conditioning unit including a casing having an air outlet at its upper end and having an air inlet at its lower end, a blower in said air inlet, a tank in said casing having a wall so spaced from'a corresponding wall of said casing as to provide an air passage in communication with said inlet for-conveying an air current upwardly from said inlet to the upper end portion of said casing, means including a baffle above said tank and a partition in the latter for directing said air current downwardly through a portion of said tank, said partition terminating at a location remote from the lower extremity of said tank for permitting said air current to flow upwardly through the remaining portion of said tank to said outlet, means for spraying an air washing liquid downwardly in the portion of said tank through which said air current ows downwardly, and a heat transfer unit in said outlet.

'7. An air conditioning unit including a casing having an air inlet at its lower end portion and having an open upper extremity, a heat transfer unit mounted in said open end of said tank and extending across a portion materially less than all of the open end thereof, a removable closure for theremaining portion of the open end of said casing, a tank in said casing removable through the upper open end thereof when said unit and closure are removed, one wall of said tank being so spaced from a corresponding wall of said casing as to provide a passage for conveying an air current upwardly from said air inlet, a partition in said tank terminating above the lower extremity of the latter and dividing the interior thereof into adjacent passages having connected lower ends, the upper end of one of said passages being in communication with said heat transfer unit and the upper end of the other passage being connected with said first mentioned passage, and a liquid spray in one of the passages of said tank.

8. An air conditioning unit including a casing having an air inlet opening, a tank having a rounded lower extremity in said casing, said tank having a wall spaced from a corresponding wall of said casing for providing an air inlet passage in communication with said air inlet opening, a baille in said casing having a curved portion extending over said air inlet passage and over a portion of said tank and having a partition section extending into the latter in spaced relation to said wall of said tank and dividing the interior of the latter into adjacent air passages, means for spraying liquid into one of said passages, and a heat transfer unit disposed between an opposite wall of said casing and said baille and communieating with one of the air passages of said tank.

9. An air conditioning unit including a casing having an air inlet at its lower end portion and having an open upper extremity, a blower discharging into said inlet, a heat transfer unit removably mounted in the upper open end of said casing extending across only a portion thereof, a removable closure for the remaining portion of said open end, a tank in said casing removable through the open end thereof when said closure and heat transfer unit are removed and having a rounded `lower extremity, a seat in said casing for receiving said tank and so positioning the latter that one wall of said tank is spaced from a corresponding wall of said casing to provide an air passage between said walls, a baille carried by said closure having a rounded section over a tank and having a section extending into the latter for directing an air current downwardly through a portion of said tank, and a liquid spray in said tank disposed between the rounded extremity of the latter and the rounded section of said baille.

10. A cooling unit for htmse installation including a casing having spaced legs and having spaced inlet openings in its bottom wall, said casinghaving an open upper extremity, means under said casing for forcing air into the latter including a pair of blowers, one associated with each inlet opening, and a driving member common to said blowers, a heat transfer unit mounted in the open extremity Vof said casing extending across only a portion of said open extremity, a removable closure for the remaining portion of said open extremity, and means in said casing for dening a course having reversely directed portions for the iiow of said air current therethrough from said inlet openings to said heat interchanger.

11. An air conditioning unit including a casing having an air inlet in its lower extremity and an air outlet in its upper extremity, means for supporting said casing in spaced relation to a iioor, a blower below said casing for forcing air upwardly through said air inlet, means in said casing between said inlet and said outlet for cleaning the air owing through said casing, a heat interchanger in said casing adjacent the outlet thereof for changing the temperature of the air discharged through said outlet, and a cabinet enclosing said casing and said blower having an opening in its upper wall registering with the outlet opening of said casing and having an open lower extremity communicating with atmosphere for supplying air to said blower.

ALLEN C. STALE'Y.

MMM 

